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Bengaluru (Bangalore) off the beaten path

Created by Raji Sunderkrishnan

India's silicon city is surprisingly unlike a metropolis at times: It offers you options to catch your breath and enjoy things at a slower pace. Go back in time with history-filled walks or look for that slice of yesterday in locales untouched by development. Catch Bangalore at its festive best and see what it feels like to be a Bangalorean.

Nrityagram was established by renowned danseuse Protima Bedi. This dance school is located in Hessaraghatta village at the outskirts of Bangalore. It’s a beautiful place to watch dancers practice their art. You can drop into the nearby Taj Kuteeram for meals.

The beautiful Ulsoor Lake, located in the city center, went through a phase of being thoroughly neglected before it was spruced up again. Boating is a possibility here. A visit to this lake can be combined with a visit to the nearby Gurudwara (Sikh house of worship), Bangalore’s largest.

Art of Bicycle Trips offers unique cycling tours across India. Our day cycling tours around Bangalore gives you a chance to explore culture, heritage and countryside from the vantage point of saddle. These are guided day bicycle tours. We provide 21 speed bikes with helmet.

This vineyard produces Bangalore’s first indigenous wine. If you like wines, a visit to the vineyard near Nandi Hills could be enjoyable, especially during the harvesting and crushing season in February/March.

Chitrakala Parishat is a renowned school of art in Bangalore, with an enviable alumni list. Located in a tree-lined campus, CKP — as it is popularly known — has a museum, a store and a gallery worth visiting. The gallery has rotating exhibits while the museum has permanent displays of paintings and crafts. CKP comes alive during its much-awaited fests: the annual Handicraft Mela and the...
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Chitrakala Parishat is a renowned school of art in Bangalore, with an enviable alumni list. Located in a tree-lined campus, CKP — as it is popularly known — has a museum, a store and a gallery worth visiting. The gallery has rotating exhibits while the museum has permanent displays of paintings and crafts. CKP comes alive during its much-awaited fests: the annual Handicraft Mela and the Chitra Santhe (art market), both of which provide outlets for artists and craftsmen. Less

Malleswaram, that bastion of Tamilians in Bangalore, is another locale that is a whole world away from India’s silicon city. Watch maamis in their kanjeevarams haggle in the market, visit a temple or two, eat local food and browse through small shops. The Kaadu Malleswara Temple and Sankey Tank are oases of calm amid the bustle. A new arrival on the scene is the incongruous Mantri Mall...
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Malleswaram, that bastion of Tamilians in Bangalore, is another locale that is a whole world away from India’s silicon city. Watch maamis in their kanjeevarams haggle in the market, visit a temple or two, eat local food and browse through small shops. The Kaadu Malleswara Temple and Sankey Tank are oases of calm amid the bustle. A new arrival on the scene is the incongruous Mantri Mall, much reviled for being the harbinger of modernization in Malleswaram. Less

Welcome to The Art of Living International Centre! Situated on the top of the Panchagiri Hills, 36km southwest of Bangalore, near Udipalya village, the campus is an ideal location for reflection and rejuvenation.
Started in 1986 and spread over 65 acres, the campus has an abundance of flowering foliage spread along winding footpaths, a peaceful lake and the exquisitely beautiful...
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Welcome to The Art of Living International Centre! Situated on the top of the Panchagiri Hills, 36km southwest of Bangalore, near Udipalya village, the campus is an ideal location for reflection and rejuvenation.
Started in 1986 and spread over 65 acres, the campus has an abundance of flowering foliage spread along winding footpaths, a peaceful lake and the exquisitely beautiful Vishalakshi Mantap, the central meditation hall.
Satsangs, held every evening, are gatherings where different minds unite through music, meditation, and wisdom to experience an elevated state of consciousness.
Through Seva (voluntary service) one can experience the humble satisfaction of doing selfless work here, from serving food in the kitchen to keeping the premises clean to working in the various departments that focus on various projects and the ashram's upkeep.
The Vishalakshi Mantap, named after 'Amma', Sri Sri's mother, is the main Meditation Hall in the form of a fully blossomed 1000 petal lotus. Its reflective dome that mirrors the sun during the day is lit up at night to a synchronized change of colored lights. The dome and golden spire that can be viewed from all parts of the sprawling campus grounds play the role of a compass - lending a sense of navigation to the spiritual seeker.
Courses are held in various rooms at different levels of the mantap and satsangs are held on the main level. Each level opens onto a gallery. Following a circular design, the levels provide an excellent view of the campus grounds and the open grounds and hills in the distance.
Built on a smaller scale, is the Sumeru Mantap in the more secluded, old ashram campus. When the campus was newly set up, and there was a much smaller gathering of people, satsangs were held here. It is a circular 3 tiered gallery with a garden in the center and the sky for a roof, dominated by a large densely foliaged banyan tree in the center.
The Radha Kund gardens recapture the mystical garden of Vrindavan, replete with a pair of elephants, a pair of geese, a deer, some rabbits and a number of exotic birds! This is an excellent place to observe various birds as they sweep over the lake - and a good place to unwind, reflect and take stock of one's life. From the gardens one can hear the Sanskrit chantings of the boys at the Gurukul nearby. The seven year training program at the Gurukul teaches students how to conduct temple rituals. The course syllabus also includes study of the Veda, Agama, Sanskrit, Astrology, Yoga, music, Sculpture, Epics and scriptures.
The Goshala, home to over 250 cows, is an important project undertaken to preserve the native breed of Indian cows. The cows enjoy human company and visitors receive great pleasure brushing and petting the cows.
For those who wish to simply relax, The Sri Sri Ayurveda Panchakarma (Wellness Spa) offers the ideal retreat for body and mind. Apart from the super ambience and food, one can select from a number of rejuvenating therapy packages the spa offers.
On campus is a very popular, vibrant eatery, The Vishala Cafe that serves Indian and Continental fast food. It is here that youngsters like to meet, relax, exchange ideas, play the piano or eat a filling meal while reading from the selection of books displayed at the cafe.
An array of shops are also present on campus - two Divine shops (selling music and books), The Divine Services (a provision store), Madhurya (traditional artefacts, gifts), Sri Kriti (a boutique that sells hand made products by rural women and traditional craftmen) and Sri Sri Agriculture with its fresh produce of fruits and vegetables grown on campus.
The Bangalore Campus makes for a truly self-contained retreat - your home away from home! Less

Fee: Yes
Duration of visit: More than 3 hours

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

About this expert

Raji Sunderkrishnan is an architect for whom traveling is a way of life. Besides traveling, she is passionate about photography and wildlife.

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